earthquake-proof water pipes 2

[cvg]

anybody ever heard of this stuff?

The DWP is installing the first-ever earthquake-proof water pipes along Contour Drive in Sherman Oaks.

http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_22641789/earthquake-resistant-pipes-may-bring-leak-free-l

 

[bimr]

In autumn of 2010, Kubota's next-generation earthquake-resistant pipe for water pipelines, GENEX, was released into the market.

In some kind of marketing miracle, the product has a 40 year history of no failures.

http://collab.waterrf.org/Workshops...ibrary/05_Davis_Distribution_Pipe_Network.pdf

http://giweb.kubota.co.jp/pdf2011_en/gi-e-7.pdf

However, it seems to be a decent product.

 

[cvg]

I guess if LADWP is willing to give it a try, then it might be a good product. But it appears to be 4-times as expensive as regular ductile. It seems that HDPE or other more flexible pipes might also be acceptable and competitive for this particular use.

 

[msquared48]

The Titanic was touted to be unsinkable too. We'll see...

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

http://mmcengineering.tripod.com

 

[77JQX]

See also:

"Recent Earthquakes: Implications for U.S. Water Utilities" (Water Research Foundation)

http://www.pepipe.org/uploads/pdfs/4408.pdf

and

"Seismic Guidelines for Water Pipelines" Americal Lifelines Alliance)

http://www.americanlifelinesalliance.com/pdf/SeismicGuidelines_WaterPipelines_P1.pdf

The first link specifically mentions the Kubota pipe, but also suggests fused HDPE.

 

[fel3]

"Like its American water line cousins, its lengths bolt together via a rubber flange."

I don't know about anyone else, but I have yet to see DIP with rubber flanges.

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"Is it the only lesson of history that mankind is unteachable?"
--Winston S. Churchill

 

[bimr]

See also:

http://collab.waterrf.org/Workshops...Library/04_Ballantyne_Materials_Selection.pdf